A life less extraordinary
by DrunkenBard
Summary: Footage of Alec has been released on the news after he experiences, first hand, what it's like to 'sleep with the enemy'. Max tries to figure out what her relationship boils down to, and the Familiars enter the fray.
1. Default Chapter

_**A life less (extra)ordinary**_

* * *

Disclaimer: None of the series characters are mine... (the word _obviously_ springs to mind for some reason) 

Pairing/s: Not _really _a big factor in the story since it's not a romance, but there are some subtle hints and not so subtle hints so you'll know.

Rating: I hate doing this cause it limits reader scope but...R

_A/n:_ _This is the reworked version of 'The cat's out of the bag'. I found that it staggered a bit in places and since my writing experience has gone up I thought it might be fun to give this little puppy another go. (Been a DAf from start to finish and love all the characters.) Please review if you have a chance. Got nothing else to say except... enjoy!_

* * *

"What do you think it all means?" Max asked, a cloud of vapour escaping past her inviting lips. The night air was a bitter kind of cold. The wind was still. The familiar, nightly sounds of sirens and disturbances were at a record low. There was a gracious peace about the night in particular. She looked out onto the sector and found herself appreciating the site more than she had in quite a while. She found herself slipping into deep thought more often and questioning aspects of her life that she had simply never assigned any importance to or ignored completely. There were so many other constants; her relationships with Logan, Alec, Cindy, Joshua. As complicated as her life was, would she really trade it? 

_--I don't know-- _Logan answered, his voice coming across her earpiece.

She shook her head, for no reason in particular. "He's on the move." Max said suddenly. She looked over the side of the building and focused. Her vision became sharper and she magnified the darkened image of a figure running from an alleyway. "I'm in pursuit." She jumped from her position on an apartment building rooftop to a street lamp, using it like a parallel bar and swinging round before landing safely on the ground. Following in his path, she ran through the empty park; sticking to the shadows and using the trees and bushes for cover. She finally found herself at the street on the other side, with no sign of her target. "What the...?"

Max felt an intense pain cripple her back before flying forward and hitting the side of a blue Chevrolet parked across the street. _--Max? Max, are you okay?-- _

"Peachy." she groaned. She shook the glass from her hair and turned to face her attacker. He stepped forward; the sound of his footsteps heavy against the asphalt. The figure was not amazingly tall, but his width seemed double his height. What Max would guess was three hundred pounds of pure muscle, now glared menacingly at her. His face had been covered to some extent, but she still caught the extreme chemical burns. "What do you want?" he asked, his speech slurred and hampered by the fact that the corner of his mouth had melted together.

"To stop you from hurting others... to help you." she answered, finding herself scared by him. "You killed three people in that accident, and the police are after you because of it, but who you really need to be afraid of, is Manticore. Trust me on this, your fifteen minutes come with a price, and if we don't get you out of here and somewhere safe, they're gonna take you back to somewhere that you don't want to be." She didn't know what series he was, or even if he was, all she knew was that there was no way he was 'just human' and in that sector, it almost always meant Manticore. "So let's go." Max said, standing and extending her hand. "What'd ya say?"

He began to laugh, a laugh so filled with baritone and littered with hate, it would scare the devil himself. "It was not an accident." In one, fluid action, he knocked her ten meters clear. "Stupid girl."

Max reacted quickly, twisting with cat-like familiarity and landing, crouched, on the street. "I never met an escapee I didn't like." she said to herself. "Well, if you don't count Alec." She jumped up as he ran for her, trying to flip over him but being caught midway and slammed to the ground. Her cry of pain rented the air, much to his satisfaction, before he picked her up by her neck and let her dangle in front of him. She grabbed onto his stump of an arm, swung her body, and delivered an impressive blow to his side. With that, she was free, and able to strike a second blow to his knee, bringing him down to a kneel. He lunged for her but she fluidly sidestepped and threw a punch at his Adams apple finally striking his nose upward. He collapsed into a heap, drawing his last breath.

_--Max?--_

"Still here." she sighed. "I don't get it, he had a chance to live free and he wasted it. I mean, it wasn't even for revenge against the people that did... what they did to him." Max didn't feel proud about what she'd done but it had also been her only option. It was at a time like this that she really thought the world a cruel and unfair pile of steaming shit.

_--Maybe he meant to take revenge on those people, on the everyday people who don't see your kind as equals, but animals.-- _Logan tried to explain as she walked away from the scene, leaving Manticore to clean up the mess they had made over a decade ago. _--Whatever his reasons, you need to remember that there will always be good and bad, and not everyone can be who you want them to be.--_

"I know, I know." she whispered. "You can't save 'em all."

* * *

"Come on people, move it! Go, go, go!" Normal shouted to the staff of Jam Pony. Bodies moved hurriedly here and there, donning packages and envelopes. Despite the rather grey setting of the whole place, it was still one of the best places to work in the sector, or at least it could be if the blonde haired drill sergeant behind the counter hadn't made every morning as lousy as possible. "I should have you working on commission; see how much you earn by the time you get your pay cheque!"

"Alec." Original Cindy called as she caught sight of him at the lockers. Her thick brown locks bounced as she made her way over to him. OC had her own sense of mismatched style, donning a few well kept vintage accessories with new fashions and keeping her wild afro as tamed as it could be. Her originality was surpassed only by her attitude, and she had lots of it. "Alec, how's your mood today?"

"Pretty shitty." he smiled sarcastically. It wasn't as if he was lying. Hanging around with the outspoken woman, he knew exactly when she wanted something and how she tried her best to be as sweet as possible when she did. He zipped up his pack and slammed his locker shut. "Don't pull the puppy dog face OC, it really doesn't suit you."

Alec pushed passed her and made his way to Normal, picking up the stack of packages beside him. "Hey, you don't even know what I'm going to ask." she argued, grabbing the next set of packages in the same manner he had. "You know what, forget it. I don't know what came over me when I thought you might just help me out on this one."

Alec sighed as the two stopped at the bike racks. "What am I gonna have to do to get rid of this 'Heartless Bastard' label that you and Max have so graciously bestowed upon me." he spat, slightly irritated at the fact that everyone else had the right to refuse except for him, because if he did, he was just the same uncaring Alec that Max had freed from Manticore. It wasn't wholly untrue, and he didn't mind it a lot of the time, but lately it was starting to work on his nerves.

"I got a date tomorrow night and she is H-O triple T if you know what I'm sayin'. Only problem is, she won't go out with me until she's sure that her friend's been taken care of." Alec raised a brow, waiting for her to continue. She sighed, preparing to receive an onslaught of refusal. "She wants me to hook her girl Drew up with a man."

"You gotta be kiddin' me. You want me to go on a blind date?" he half shouted.

OC quieted him down, pulled her bike out of the rack and looked at him again. "Listen, I've seen her myself and she's a good looking girl, alright? She just doesn't talk too much... or have a lot of confidence... which is why she can't get a guy." She waited for a response from him and smiled when she saw his look of uneasy acceptance. "Tonight, eight-thirty at Club X-tasi. She'll be waiting for you at the bar."

"How will I know what she looks like?"

"Don't worry about it, she'll stick out like a sore thumb." That said, OC adjusted her backpack and climbed onto her bike. "Thanks for this Alec, I owe ya one." He shook his head as he watched her go, realizing that she'd already made plans because she knew he'd crumble. With one last look at the oppressive sky above him, he mounted his bike and rode off.

* * *

Alec jogged across the street and stopped before the doors of Club X-tasi. The music could be heard well outside the club and the strobe lights flooded out of the high windows of the factory turned night club. He'd been to the club a couple of times, not particularly a place for meet and greet but great for hours of non-stop dance. He forced himself to think again about exactly what he was doing. A possible night of torture with a mousy, retentive girl, versus a night of bar hoping and possible hustling, depending on the mood, and almost guaranteed good times. It was his guess that she would probably run screaming out of the club if he so much as lay a hand on her thigh. He sighed, making up his mind and going in with a nod to each of the two bouncers.

The laser lights from the jam packed dance floor skipped across him as the music drowned out every other sound. The thumping beat excited the crowd and seemed to determine the pattern of the spectacular light show. He snaked his way down the staircase, being careful not to bump the many couples who were feeling each other up, among other things. _For someone with no confidence, this is a hell of a place to meet._he thought to himself as he pushed through the crowd shoulder first. Alec found the small archway into the bar and straightened his jacket before walking in.

The atmosphere was far more quiet, though music still played over the large speakers. He surveyed the room, finding less than a handful of women who sat alone. One woman in particular caught his eye; sitting alone at the bar and preoccupied with her drink. She didn't seem to fit with the scene; apprehensive and, and this he gathered from his own sixth sense, turning just slightly to look about her; not many would have noticed it if they weren't paying attention. She was wrapped in a fur coat, one which must've been insanely hot under the conditions; her ears were adorned with diamond earrings, and long, jet black hair was done into a high style. She sure as hell stuck out.

As he made his way over to her, a burly man took the seat at her side and grinned reptiliously. She made no sign of acknowledgement and continued on as she had been. His grin grew wider and he tried his best to lean back in a suave and lusting manner. Still, she took no notice. Finally, he leant forward and pushed her drink a bit to one side. "I couldn't help but..."

"No." she said sternly. She didn't appear to have any lack of confidence as far as Alec could see.

"But you haven't even..."

"No." she said again, looking straight ahead to the mirrored shelves behind the bar counter.

"Listen woman, I..."

"She said no." Alec came from behind her. "Why don't you try and get your kicks somewhere else?" The man sighed, and shot a look of hatred at her before moving off. The bartender offered the woman another margarita before Alec stole the seat next to her and ordered a beer. She lifted her head slightly as she watched her drink being poured and cast a sideward glance his way.

"I didn't need you to do that, but thank you none the less." she said, her voice soft and deliberately so. The tone had changed considerably, no longer as commanding as it had been but smooth and alluring. "Is there any particular reason you came to my rescue, or do you enjoy playing the hero every now and again?"

She might as well have asked him whether he wanted to get into her pants or just collect a drink and leave her alone. "I'm Alec and unless I just made a big mistake, you must be my date." he said softly, flashing the playboy smile which had worked like a charm many times before.

"Call it what you like." the woman said, greeting his hazel eyes with her own of the same colour. "I must admit, you aren't what I expected." she half smiled, taking another sip from her glass. Her chocolate brown skin glowed in the soft lights of the bar and the sequins on her elegant black dress glittered in turn; she was letting the coat slip from her shoulder.

"Now is that good, or bad?" he asked.

"I guess I'll have to find out." she answered.

"You're not what I expected either." His mood started to lighten. _There might be some fun in tonight after all._"And I'll be honest, that's good."

She took a deep breath and moved her glass aside. "You'll forgive my rushing this, but I'm afraid I have other matters to attend to." She removed something from her slim handbag and then moved in close to him, her soft, rouge lips hovering at his ear. "Please, secrecy is of the utmost importance." Her hand moved slowly inside his jacket, finally resting on a pocket and slipping something small but fairly heavy inside. Her musky perfume drifted to him as she held herself just there. "Find them." she whispered. Quickly she moved back and took her handbag, slipping back through the crowd.

He looked after her, finally coming out of his daze long enough to reach into his jacket pocket. His eyes widened and a hundred thoughts ran through his head at that moment. The only thing he seemed capable of doing without thinking was following after her. "Looks like I made a big mistake, a really, really big mistake." he said to himself, loosing her path and only assuming she left through the back. "Hey!" Alec called, making her figure in the brightly lit back corridor as her stiletto heels clicked against the broken tiles. He made his way to the door to late, and caught her sliding into a black limousine.

* * *

"Hey Sketch." Max greeted as she passed him on the way out. Tired from the night before, she had managed to drag herself to work about a half hour late. If only they knew what she did after hours... well, either they'd sing her praises or scream her bloody murder. She shook the thought. Since it hadn't been her first time punching in late, far from it, she was anticipating the scheduled scolding in "Three, two, one... " 

"Well, look who decided to grace us with her presence." Normal said sarcastically as Max strolled passed him. Even so, she was given a rare privilege, and he left his sanctuary. "You sure that there's nothing I can get you Max? A cup of coffee maybe, or how about a bagel? Just say the word and I'll make sure you have all you'll need to push through the day 'your majesty.'" he called, angered by her nonchalant attitude.

She yawned and stretched while going to the lockers, showing him just how easy it was for her to ignore his voice. "I told you Boo, you've been pushin' yourself too hard lately. White may be doggin' your tail but you're gonna need some rest if you're planning on putting all that training to good use." Cindy told her, peering from behind her locker door.

"Yes mom." Max joked, dropping onto the bench and staring at her locker. "Tell me you've had a better week than I have." She said stretching again and searching her backpack. "That way at least one of us will have had fun." Seeing her friend's expression, she rubbed the spot on the bench beside her, motioning for her to take a seat.

OC flopped down next to her and shook her head. "Well, I would've hit you with the news that I had a date tonight but that was all riding on whether Alec agreed to do me just one favour and take her best bud on a date and guess what, he didn't pull through."

Max placed her hand on Cindy's forehead. "Not only did you ask Alec for a favor, but that favor was a blind date? You've gotta be coming down with something."

"Yeah, a bad case of _Desperate Cindyosis_." They both laughed; Cindy still a little depressed at the fact that she was going to be spending a night at Crash instead of in the arms of one of the most beautiful women she'd ever met. "Maybe I can still patch things up, see if I can't convince Sketchy instead."

"Well I'm going to be taking a trip out of the sector for the weekend; if things don't work out, how about you join me?" Max offered, slamming her locker. "Who knows, you might even find a girl to take your troubles away." She and OC walked to the parcel counter together, taking their clipboards along with their deliveries.

"Max, I gotta talk to you." Alec said, pulling her away. "I..." Without time to say word one, Cindy's hand had already connected with his face. He rubbed his cheek, finding that she was a lot stronger than she looked. "Damnit, what was that for?"

She folded her arms and glared at him. "I knew trusting you was a bad idea but somehow I managed to get it into my head that you wouldn't let me down." He looked between the two of them, seeing that they'd already played judge, jury and executioner. "You'd better have been hit by a bus or something equally as painful."

"Don't worry, I've got an explanation for ditching the date." The two of them waited impatiently for him to continue. "I was with another woman." He asked for the second one, or rather _ones_. "OC I understand, but why did you slap me?" he spat, rubbing both cheeks now.

"Because it was fun." she smiled, lifting her shoulders. "Now, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

He stopped rubbing his cheeks and took a deep breath. "Yesterday at the club, I met a woman who I thought was my date since she stood out from everyone else at the bar. Great description by the way." he said sarcastically, turning to OC. "Turns out she was waiting for someone else and she handed me cash thinking I was that someone else and then she bailed so I followed her. When I tried to catch up with her she bolted and drove off in a limo."

Max turned to her best friend, before both of them looked back to him. "How much money?" they asked in unison.

* * *

They had made their way to Logan's after work, deciding that if any brain storming were to be done, it would be best to do it with him. Alec felt that it worked out best in the end for him anyway; Max and Logan would usually do their thing and completely forget that he was there until of course Max turned on him and threw out the usual accusation of his not doing anything, to which he would reply 'With you to brooding away, who can get a word in edgewise.' "I knew it was just too good to be true. A weekend without having to duck and dive around corners in case I get my head blown off. A weekend without any trouble from the familiars or White. A weekend of peace and quiet. But no, Alec has to find his way into another situation and pull me into it." Max vented, stopping and patting Alec's shoulder. "Thanks buddy." she said, her lips pursed. 

Logan glanced at them then to the envelope on his desk. "The question is, who's rich enough to dish out fifteen grand?" he asked, more to himself than anyone else. The mystery had been eating away at him; everything seemed a little off about the whole thing, but he just couldn't place his finger on it. "Alec, what did you say she looked like again?"

"Uh... well... " he sighed, looking off into the distance as he thought. "Brown hair, hazel eyes, she was about... I dunno, six foot maybe. She had a beauty spot on her left cheek bone and a silver necklace with a tiger's head and two diamonds were the eyes should be." They both looked at him, Max cocking a brow in amazement.

"Wow, you paid an awful lot of attention in the few minutes you had with her." She walked passed him and stood behind Logan, waiting as the blocks at the bottom of the screen lit up one by one as the search began. "Do you think you can find her on what Alec's told you?"

He nodded his head. "Well there aren't many people who can give away money like that and the limo says she's got lots of it. This search won't even take an hour." The computer's fan was the only sound present in the room as Alec sank into the couch and Max paced anxiously.

"That things not going to work any faster with you grinding a ditch into the floor Max. Sit down, take a load off." He picked up the remote control and flicked between channels. "There she is." he said, leaning forward and upping the volume on the set. "That's the woman I met yesterday."

**McIntyre Technologies has confirmed the rumors of a merger with Albertson Tomorrow, resulting in one of the largest tech mergers in almost two decades. Since her parents mysterious disappearance five years ago, the heir to the McIntyre powerhouse, Kayna McIntyre has proven that she has what it takes to drive her company into the future. Though many still believe her success to be a wave of luck, she has fought the critics and taken no prisoners.**

**For New York News, I'm Elizabeth Arnolds.**

"Well, that answers one question." Alec said.

"But poses a whole lot more, like what one of the richest women in the country is doing paying off strangers in a backwater club." Logan began, stopping the search and turning his chair to face Max and Alec.

"That's all very interesting but if you'll excuse me..." Alec was already nearing the door before they both called for him to '_Hold it!' _"Hey, there's nothing more we can do. The guy she was supposed to meet will probably call her up and tell her that she didn't show and when he does they'll set up another meeting."

Max shook her head. "Yeah, but then she'll know that you weren't the guy she was supposed to meet and she'll have someone or a whole lot of someone's get her money back for her." She looked knowingly at him, going back to the desktop with her eyes and then back to him; she'd noticed the missing envelope. "Face it Alec, you can't keep it."

"Oh come on, you know that I could easily handle whoever she gets to come after me. Besides, are we forgetting that she's a millionaire? She's not going to miss fifteen grand."

"Max's right. You have to give the money back." Logan said. "I'll pull up an address and maybe you can talk to her while you're at it, see what her story is." Alec could tell that he wasn't going to win this one, as was usually the case. Finally, he yielded and asked for the address. Logan typed her name into his computer and wrote it down. With a cold 'thank you', he left.

"So... " Logan said at length; he and Max being left alone. "Listen, you should still go on your weekend retreat. I can safely sat that us guys can handle this for the next two or three days." She looked unsure. "Seriously, it's nothing big. When you get back, we'd hopefully have answers waiting for you and we can play it by ear after that. I want you to go... you need a break from all this."

"And what about you?" she asked. "You work just as hard as I do, obviously in a different way."

He shrugged. "Until we've got more control over what happens in our lives, we're gonna have to take turns with vacation time. Maybe one day, we'll take time off together."

"I'd like that." she smiled. She leaned close to him and stopped before his lips. He brought his hand to her cheek and held it just high enough to feel the warmth of her skin. They pushed their limits of intimacy closer each time, having reached the point of danger with a single twitch or slip of the hand. She brought her gloved hand over his mouth and kissed it. "Bye."

* * *

"May I ask who is calling?" - "Excuse me sir, but may I ask who is calling?" The butler asked again, with a hint of a Scottish accent. Grey haired, and formally attired, he certainly seemed to fit the scene. Alec had brought himself as far as the large stone steps at the front door and now he was torn between walking inside, and walking away. He looked around at the well maintained garden, the old walls, the high security system, the well groomed and mannered butler. Everything in him was telling him to walk away and just pocket the cash; Logan and Max wouldn't know the difference. 

"Alec, my name is Alec." he let out. The butler took a slight bow and showed him in, leaving him for a few moments in the front foyer. "I've got to get away from those two." he said allowed, referring to Max and Logan. "At this rate I'm going to end up a poor, crusty ol' good Samaritan." He looked up at the fresco ceiling, then down to the marble floor and equally textured pillars. "What's she going to do with just fifteen grand? Buy a vase?" He heard footsteps to his left and moved forward to observe the long, grand corridor, with its high ceilings and priceless paintings.

"Madame McIntyre will see you now. But I ask that you enter her office quietly." They made their way back down the corridor, giving Alec a chance to briefly inspect it. The carpets were a deep and rich red, breaking the pale white of the marbled walls The place seemed like a museum, exquisitely adorned with antiques and heirlooms, but somehow not lived in. Everything was for show, items that filled space and were chosen simply to fit a theme, neither of them chosen by the owner he would guess.

The butler left him and he entered the office. It was large, spacious, with wood finishes a leather couch and leather seats. He closed the door softly behind him, being ushered in by a gesture of her hand. There were hints of greenery, a plant in two corners, but other than that, the office was filled with bookshelves and ornaments, none of which seemed to suit her. "Sono informato dei rischi ma li assicuro che, questa fusione sarà a vantaggio di noi tutto. Avrò controllo completo sopra Albertson. Potete dimenticarsi che I per possedere le parti di controllo della mia azienda ed ora venti cinque per cento di Albertson, che mi rende il più grande supporto di parte tutto l'in tondo." He raised a brow. "Capisco la vostra preoccupazione. Alright. Arrivederci Louis."

"I'm impressed. Italian?" Alec asked.

"Let's skip the pleasantries, shall we?" she smiled, a smile filled with distrust. "I must tell you that I'm surprised you sought me out and came here. I was expecting to have to come out and find you." She eyed him, that same distrust coupled with something else, all too familiar to him. "Who have you spoken to about last night?"

He pulled the money from his pocket and lobbed it onto her desk. "Here's your money back. And don't worry about last night, you're secret's safe, although I'm still not completely sure what that secret is." They were silent for a while, gauging each other. "I could help; I'm good at finding things, or people, that aren't easy to find... or don't want to be found."

She rose from her chair and stalked around the desk until she stood straight in front of him. It was then he caught full sight of her silk white robe. It clung to the curves of her body and was all too thin. He was then glad that she wore underwear, if the sliver of material around her hips could be classified as that. Her chest left little to nothing to the imagination. Alec was gifted in the art of seduction and he'd always believed that he'd given more than he received, although there was always a first. He knew she was about to play him like a cheap guitar, but at that point, he really didn't care. Still, he kept his composure and grinned cockily at her. She took the envelope from her desk and tapped it between her breasts. "How about you take the money, as a show of good will on my part? We can just forget that any of this happened."

"Hush money?" He wrestled with it, imagining running through the bills with his fingers. Then he immediately thought of Max, and Logan, and even Cindy, although she might've been with him on this one. If he came back with the cash, they wouldn't believe he'd returned it and they'd probably keep on him until he did. The whole lot of them were big on doing the right thing, unfortunately. "I'm afraid that won't work."

"Then what will?" she asked innocently, putting the envelope back.

Alec stood and moved up to her, pressing in close. He took in her scent again, moving slowly across the hollow of her neck. Her heart beat amplified in his ears and her breathing jumped just once, barely noticeable to normal ears. He moved his head back and his lips were now little more than an inch from her own. "Do you always use seduction to get you somewhere?"

She laughed, warm and rich, and he didn't doubt that she controlled even that. She seemed set on control, and there was far more to her than she allowed people to believe. He knew how to read people; and recognized himself. "My intuition tells me that you aren't so different. Do I always use seduction? No, but being intelligent, or witty, or savvy doesn't always get you far, so I use the tools at my disposal. Why should I be ashamed to enjoy what I've been given. I'm proud of _all _of my assets."

"I'm proud of your assets too." he grinned. He straightened himself, and left without looking back. As flustered as he may have felt, he was only slightly aware of the effect he'd had on the the woman he'd just left. It seemed Alec had met his match, and he wasn't complaining.

* * *

Max parked her bike in the open space next to a run down diner. She'd finally gotten out of the city and was making her way as far as possible. Climbing off her bike, she tied her long, windblown, auburn hair. The country had never looked so good to her, the reason being she'd almost never been away from home for any other reason than Manticore. Even though the town could stand a bit of work; a fresh coat of paint and a clean up crew, she wouldn't have it any other way. It's true that one never appreciates what they have until it's gone, but in Max's case, she appreciated what she'd never known, far more than those who had. 

"Hey sugar." the woman behind the bar called to Max as she made her way inside to the counter. There were only ten or so people in total, but she supposed she liked it that way. The less people, the less suspicious she felt of every eye that set upon her. "What can I do ya for?" the aged brunette asked. She was heavy set, although not fat. Her hair was neatly tied back and streaks of grey appeared here and there. Max could tell that she had been a pretty woman, but age, a hard life, and cigarettes and alcohol, had taken a toll on her features.

"A cup of... hot chocolate would be nice." Max smiled, deciding to go for something different for a change. She took up the bar stool in front of the waitress and watched as her beverage was prepared. "Thanks." The warm tendrils of steam touched her soft skin as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. _This is nice. Not perfect, or amazing, just nice._she thought, wanting it just that way.

"Can't say I've ever seen you around here before. And believe me, I know almost everybody in this town, probably because this is the only diner." She seemed mildly excited by the appearance of a new face; it hadn't been one of the highlights of her day, but it was interesting enough. "The name's Isabella, full time mom and owner of this old dump. And you are?"

Max looked up at her and thought for a moment. "Just a girl... just a girl passing through town."

"Well, Just a girl, you'd better watch yourself. Traveling alone could get you into all sorts of trouble." Isabella excused herself and went to clear the cup and plate of another customer a few stools down from Max. She walked passed and stopped. "You sure you don't want me to whip something up for you, honey? You look like you could use a good meal."

"That bad huh?" She nodded and ordered from the small menu next to her. As she looked around she realized that the night life in the town probably got as exciting as a barn dance, or poker night for the men. But there was something comforting about being shut off from the rest of the world. "How long have you lived here?" she asked Isabella as her bacon and egg sandwich and blueberry muffin arrived.

The woman looked around her diner, and smiled to herself. "All my life, all my life." she said softly. "Let's just hope my kids don't make the same mistake." Isabella saw Max furrow her brow in confusion. "Don't get me wrong sweetie, I love this place with all my heart, but I wish I wouldn't have been afraid to see what was out there with my own two eyes. I have and I always will be, your average Joe, and there ain't nothing worse than that."

"Oh, I don't know," Max said before taking a sip of her hot chocolate. "I can think of worse things." She would've like nothing more than to be an average Joe, but that was something which could never happen. Tucked away in the small town, Isabella would never know how lucky she had it.

"It better not be a man taking that smile away from your pretty face." Isabella whispered, making Max snap out of her thought induced trance. "I've had my share of that life, and I am not going back. So what do you say, you going to tell me what's bothering you?"

"It has to do with a man, but not the way you think. I broke it off with him, which gets me down every time I think about it, but it was for the best. We can't be together and I can't help that. But things are difficult, and I don't understand him, or me, for wanting what will never be, what we just can't have." she said, shaking her head.

"Now that's different. But you're gonna have to elaborate."

"He knows we can't be together but he doesn't except that, he doesn't want to accept that and... neither do I. I know that it can't work, he knows that it can't work but still, he keeps on convincing me otherwise." she sighed, breaking off a piece of her muffin and staring down at her empty plate as she chewed. "I don't know what to do anymore." Slowly sipping the cup of coffee which Isabella had offered on the house, half way through her story.

"The way I see it hon, there's nothing you can do. He's just as convinced that the two of you _are_ meant to be, as you are convinced that you're_ not_. Take it from me, 'Just a girl', he still believes in your love, even if you don't."

* * *

End Part One 

_A.n:_ _Please do me the courtesy of reviewing if you have the time._


	2. Chapter Two

**_A life less (extra)ordinary_**

* * *

"Joshua." called Max, treading lightly on the creaky floorboards of the house. She had decided to turn her Ninja around and come back home, since it wouldn't do her any good taking a vacation if the only thing that she could think of were the problems that she would return to. If her break was just going to be another place for her to worry, then why waste the money. "Joshua." 

"Max." Joshua's slightly muffled voice responded. The gentle giant peeked at her from his lounge and looked in surprise. "What are you doing here Max? You're supposed to be out, away from here. You're supposed to be having fun." She snorted as she walked passed him, flopping into the tattered sofa. "Max didn't have fun?"

She nodded. "Just about Joshua." Looking toward the painting he was working on, she took off her coat and gloves and sighed. "That's a beautiful painting Joshua, really beautiful." For some reason, she was tired, and it took a lot to do that to an X5. It was probably from thinking on the way back, but it did her good.

"What's wrong lil' buddy?" he asked, kneeling beside her and waiting for an answer.

"What's right?" she answered standing and walking over to the painting. "I realized something while I was gone, something about all of the stuff that's happening to us. I'll never be happy, going on vacation and leaving the sector, if I know that there's still a lot here that's unfinished. Besides that, where would you, Logan an Alec be without me?"

Joshua laughed with her, putting his hair back and standing behind his best friend. "Maybe you didn't stay away for long, but I'm glad you took the trip Max. It's been a long time since I've seen you laugh." She took in his words and stared at the painting, half finished. "Wanna try?"

"Oh no, painting's not my thing. Besides, I don't want to mess it up for you." she protested, raising her arms and taking a step back. "Believe me, you don't want me near it."

"You can't mess up the painting Max. Whatever you put on it, whatever you do to it, it comes from you and how you feel. There's no right or wrong, only Max." He gestured to the pots and tubes of paint, the brushes and newspaper bits, the bottle caps and cartons.

She grinned at him as he preoccupied himself with straightening all the tools out for her. "You know Joshua, for someone so new to the world outside Manticore, you know a whole lot more than most people ever will." He smiled back, nodding his head as if silently thanking her for her kind words.

The canvas stared back at her. Max had never even remotely tried anything like painting in her life and now she was going to have to go through her own crash course. Picking up the blue tube, she squirted some of the paint onto her fingers and smeared it along the bottom of the canvas, mixing it with the already existed green paint on the side Joshua had already completed. Before it could dry, she took a beer cap and brushed glue along it's bottom, sticking it to the canvas and standing back to observe what she'd already done.

Her hands slick with paint, she was already enjoying herself. She grabbed a page of the torn up newspaper and scrunched it into a small ball, dipping it into the red pot of paint and using it as a paintbrush before plucking it onto the canvas and covering it with some of the chicken wire which she stapled on. Purple came next, mixing the three colours into a strange sort of brown which Max kind of liked. It was then that she reminded herself of why she came to Joshua's. She came because of the comfort, how he always managed to keep her smiling even when things started to suck.

Why did she feel the need to travel hundreds of kilometers to get away from it all, when the only place she needed was right under her nose. Joshua had been in and out of the room, coming in to see her laughing at her own designs and flicking paint, making a mess of the floor and walls. He didn't mind at all, anything to see her happy again. It had gotten to the point where he had offered her another canvas, one which took her only two hours to complete. For Max, the time had flown by, and she knew then why Joshua had taken such a liking to art.

"What do you think?" she asked him as he put his hands in his pockets and tilted his head at the work of art in front of him. "Well, come on Joshua, at least say something." Max urged, impatient at the time it took for him to respond.

"Max number one." laughed Joshua. She joined him, finding that her anger and her frustration had translated into her first art piece. He continued to inspect it, unaware of the tube of paint that Max had squirted into her palm and rubbed between her hands. "I like it." he said, turning into the blue covered hands of the transgenic next to him.

"Not laughing now, are you Mr. Artiste?" He tried to wipe it off, but it only got onto his hands. Mockingly glaring at her, he picked up the tube of red paint and did the same as she had done. "Joshua, what are you going to do with that?" she asked, knowing the answer but trying to buy herself some time. "Joshua... Joshua." In an instant, she turned and ran through to the next room, Joshua following with his own payback.

* * *

"Dude, I told you, you should have turned right back there!" Sketch shouted as the five of them drove along the narrow streets of the sector. They'd decided to go to a new club in the more 'up market' side of town. But their adventure had turned into a nightmare with them getting lost at every turn and Mark's car not being fitted with a GPS system. They'd been lost for the better part of an hour now, and things weren't getting anymore comfortable. Added to that, OC was still on barely speaking terms with Alec, Sketch was loosing his cool and realising more and more that the car was in fact, a confined space. He'd now successfully informed them seven times of his claustrophobic tendencies.

"Hey, Sketch, this ain't a walk in the park for the rest of us! But you'd better go peddle crazy somewhere else or bottom line, I will throw you the hell out!" OC shouted back, getting mighty annoyed at the whole thing. She'd put her best foot forward for the night, upset about not being able to patch things up with her previous date. At the rate they were going, she'd look like a damp raccoon by the time they found the place... if they found the place. "Wait, what's that?" Everyone cheered as they caught sight of the club. "Now what would any of you do without me?" she asked smugly.

They poured out, all breathing in the fresh air... well, as fresh as it could get at any rate. Parking hadn't been a problem, since cars seemed to be a thing of luxury and most people just walked. They got to the doors; a small red carpet accompanied by a bouncer on either side. There was still a line, only about fifteen people or so. None of them seemed to mind the wait. The air was cold and crisp, and just about what they needed given their trip to the club. Alec absentmindedly searched the street, happening across a familiar face in the restaurant a small way away. "You know what guys, I think I'm gonna go say hello to someone quick, so just go in if I'm not back by then." They nodded and let him leave.

_Paladin._ He was stopped at the door. "Excuse me sir, but unless I can see a reservation or a membership card, you're not getting inside." The thin man said, looking him over with disdain. It was obvious that he'd been doing such a job for years, and he seemed to have surmised Alec as soon as he'd stepped onto the pavement. "Why don't you try the new nightclub across the road; it would be more suited to your caliber." he smiled, with a hint of grimace.

"Actually, I'm here for a dinner date." Alec said, pissed off by the man's manner. "Kayna McIntyre is a friend of mine. Could you show me to her table?" He pulled a cold smile and waited impatiently. The man curled his lip and did as he was asked. The lighting was dim, there was a warm ambience about the lavish restaurant. The tables were decked with white cloth, shining silver cutlery and immaculately polished glassware. _So this is how the other half lives?_ he asked himself. _I could get used to this._

"I apologize for the interruption. Ms. McIntyre, there is a young gentlemen who claims to have been invited to this company." The usher said as they arrived at her table, looking back suspiciously at him as he spoke. "I wasn't sure whether or not to admit him so I thought it best to bring him inside and ask you."

She stood and looked past the man. "Alec?" For a moment, she was speechless, obviously not expecting to see him here of all places. "Yes, yes I know him Roger. Thank you." With that, he left. Alec felt somewhat triumphant as Roger slinked away, like a dog with his tail between his legs. "What are you doing here?"

"Aren't you going to introduce us to your friend, Kay?" The older woman at the table asked. She was old money, to be sure. It seemed that she'd held onto her wealth even after the pulse. The same applied to the man next to him, which he guessed was her husband, and the other two couples that Kay sat with. "Why don't you join us for dinner? We haven't ordered yet."

She looked at her, thinking hurriedly. "No. I'm sure that Alec..."

"I would love to." he smiled. He slid into the booth seat that Kay had occupied and patted the spot next to him. "I was just in the neighborhood and caught site of, Kay here. I'm sorry if I've intruded on your dinner." Suddenly, he had all the charm and charisma of high society. He found Kay's slightly angered expression quite amusing. After all, the only way she could justify her not wanting him at the table, would be to carry out a full explanation. Whether true or false, it would be more trouble than it was worth.

"Well Alec, my name is Henrietta, this is Lucien, over there is Roberta and her husband Phillip." Henrietta began, pointing to each person as she introduced them. "And Clarissa and her husband George. It's very nice to meet you. I must say that although we are old family friends, Kay doesn't speak much about her younger acquaintances. We sometimes wonder whether she's too busy to make any, in which case she should slow down like I always suggest."

"Really?" Alec asked, turning to her. "Well, she's a wonderful person. And she has such a sparkling personality, I can't imagine why she doesn't have droves of friends."

Kay gritted her teeth, his cockiness eating away at her. "Be that as it may, I'm often forced to commit my time elsewhere. Friends just seem to fall second place unfortunately." She forced a smiled. "Alec, why don't you tell everyone a little about yourself. Like, perhaps what you do for a living?"

"At the moment, I'm involved with an up and coming courier company. I have faith in the venture, and the service is at an excellent standard. In fact, because of my commitment I'm constantly traveling and I can tell you that it takes a lot out of anyone." He ended with a somewhat haughty laugh, bringing the other couples to a pleasant laugh with him. Again he looked to Kay, who now gave him a visible look of approval. _Touché._

"I fully understand." Lucien agreed. "Just the other week I'd been flying all over Europe. By the time I was back home, I wasn't sure which way was up or down, or even which day of the week it was. But I must admit that the scenery over there is beautiful. I'm not sure whether the pulse worked to the countryside's advantage but in the south of France, there's greenery as far as the eye can see. I wonder young man, has your work ever taken you that way?"

"Excuse me." the waitress said as she reached their table. "I trust that you have had a chance to peruse the dinner menu as well as the a la carte menu." she began, placing her hands folded in front of her. "But if I may, allow me to inform you of the few changes that have been made for tonight, purely for you betterment." Almost in unison, the three couples lifted their menus a bit and listened intently.

Alec slipped his hand under the table and onto Kay's inner thigh. The corner of her mouth turned up subtly as she continued to look and listen to the waitress. His middle and index finger walked up, reaching the warmth between her thighs when she'd parted them ever so slightly. Her expression didn't change. She fought back a sigh and caught her breath as he slipped past the thin material and inside the smooth triangle. Her concentration began to blur and at some point she remembered hearing about the rump being chopped into venison. Still, she tried not to loose complete control, although every so now and then she came extremely close. Her hand gripped the well folded cloth napkin and some of the table cloth was pulled as she clenched into a fist.

"Kay?" Henrietta asked.

"Hmm?" she answered, biting her lower lip.

"They've done away with the cod platter for tonight." This seemed to disturb her. "Just yesterday I told you how I was looking forward to it so. Well, I guess I must just accept it as it is. What can you tell me about the, Story of Lamb? It looks quite interesting." she continued on, remarking here and there about it, and very rarely referring to her menu. Clarissa, Phillip, Lucien and Roberta had all taken out their small spectacles, but when exactly, Kay couldn't say. "Alec, what would you like? I imagine the lobster's good."

With his free hand, Alec had been holding the menu and looking down at it, although he wasn't at all interested in what he was reading, or rather pretending to read. "Yes Alec, would the lobster suite you?" Kay asked, unable to mask her smile but trying hard to. Unfortunately, the smile had become infectious and they were now both grinning like Cheshire cats.

"Well, I'm not sure. I suppose it depends on the wine we choose to have with our meal." he diverted.

"Oh yes of course!" George exclaimed. "I almost completely forgot about that. Tell me is there..." His words trailed off in both their minds.

Kay's legs shifted around Alec's hand; more and more as his pace began to quicken. She was biting down hard now and a soft moan escaped her lips midway between the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Barsac. When asked what was troubling her, she said, "I'm just upset that there's no cod platter." Henrietta voiced her agreement and began to ask the same questions she had started with. Finally, her legs clamped his hand as she breathed short and hard and her stomach convulsed. "How about a nice dry white? Not too heavy." she asked the table. "Dinner hasn't even been ordered and I already feel very well satisfied."

"I'm afraid I've completely forgotten that I have an appointment in a few minutes." Alec said. He used the napkin and stood. "It was very nice meeting you all." The men stood and he shook with his free hand. "Please, enjoy the rest of your night." He dropped the napkin and left, being sure to throw a gloating glance the usher's way.

"What a handsome boy." Roberta said as he walked past the large glass windows. "And so nice."

* * *

**In related news; Politician Wes Gallagher was found murdered in the home office of John Albertson late last night while attending one of Albertson's annual cocktail parties. Police have yet to elaborate on the specifics of the case, however sources tell us that they already have a suspect. Gallagher was opposed to the McIntyre merger, or as some would say take over, of the technological giant Albertson Tomorrow. The question on all of our minds is, is that motive enough for murder? The decision is yours. Gallagher is survived by his wife, Lucinda Frost Gallagher.**

Logan wheeled himself away from his dinner table, stopping midway to the kitchen and picking up the control for his stereo. The soft sounds of an old CD filled his apartment as he easily maneuvered his way through the kitchen, preparing his meal and humming along to the familiar tune. He hadn't turned his set on or listened to the radio the whole day. Since Max had given herself the weekend off, he thought the least he could do was give himself the day off, and it had worked. He stared out of his windows to the buildings across from him, and the backdrop of the night sky and the full moon. A knock at his door startled him. Quickly, he removed the pan from the hot plate and wiped his hands with a cloth before wheeling his way over to answer. He hadn't been expecting anyone, and he could only guess that it was Asha or Alec. Logan unlocked the door and found himself surprised at the woman who was standing in front of him.

"Mr. Logan Cale I presume." she said, extending a gloved hand.

"You presume right." said Logan, shaking her hand. "Kayna McIntyre." She nodded. "Uh... come in, please come in." He wheeled aside and let her pass, closing the door and finding her presence baffling. He allowed her to wander into the adjacent lounge and inspect it for herself as he moved in behind her.

She put her bag on the table next to her and looked around. The mood music, the dim lights, the aroma that emanated from the kitchen, all signs that he was expecting someone or that someone was already there. "I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" she asked, spinning around.

"No, no, not at all. Just treating myself to an evening in. Please, have a seat." She made her way to his dinner table and sat comfortably next to the place he had set for himself. "Can I get you anything? Orange juice, water, wine?"

"A glass of wine if you don't mind." Kayna absentmindedly took in his apartment while she waited for him to join her. Finally, he was at the table, placing her glass on a coaster in front of her. "I'm sure you must be curious as to why I'm here Mr. Cale, so let me cut straight to the chase. I am in need of your services."

He was still confused. "Call me Logan." he began, narrowing his eyes and trying to think of what kind of services she had in mind. "I don't know what you've been told but I don't have any services to offer Ms. McIntyre. I don't think that I've ever implied that I have."

"But you do Logan." She removed her gloves and took a sip of wine before reaching into her handbag for a brown envelope. "And please, call me Kay. Your friends have loose lips, you should see to that." she said. "Twice I was referred to you by separate people, once they failed to successfully track down my parents. Assumption on their part can be a very dangerous thing, and the authorities would be thrilled to snag a chief hacker. I can only assume they gave me the information because they thought I wasn't a threat. Anyway, I'm willing to pay you to find my mother and father, or at least find out what happened to them ."

Rubbing his chin, he picked up the envelope and opened it, his eyes widening at the amount of money inside. "Listen, Kay, I'm afraid I can't help you. Your parents have been missing for years and the police have done their best to try and find them." He closed it and slid it back to her. In honesty, he was afraid of treading the unsure and high profiled waters that any connection to her was submerged in. "What makes you think that I'll be able to do what they couldn't?"

"Because they say you're the best, you don't follow the rules and... and you know a lot more about Manticore and the Familiars than anyone else."

* * *

Max leaned against the wall of the elevator, waiting for them to reach Logan's floor. She'd backtracked into town and found the usual crew at Crash. They'd already been there for a number of hours when she'd arrived. Now Alec had all but passed out beside her in the elevator, claiming that she would have to drag his butt home if he fell asleep while she and Logan were doing their usual dance, trying to pretend that they didn't notice the tension in the air while they agreed to continue to work and press on with their good deeds for the day. Alec could be annoying, but he knew what he was talking about.

"Have you ever heard of fun?" he asked her as they walked down the corridor. "You know, that thing you do when you're not too busy working, ordering me around or pining over Logan? That thing that most people find second nature but you seem to avoid every minute of the day? That thing that forces you to take that carrot out of your ass and stop taking everything so seriously."

She glared at him, not in the mood to start a fight but knowing that she had full right to. He shrugged, deciding that his lack of conversation and persistent sleep deprivation would force him to pass out sometime soon anyway. Max took out her keys and opened the door letting Alec through before turning back and locking it again. Both of them stopped at the sound of smooth music, the dim lights, the aroma from the kitchen and candles as well as the dinner setting for two.

"Oh my God, I didn't think anyone could be so good with their hands." Max heard a woman's voice say. She instantly saw red, not sure of what she was walking into but already not liking it. "No, I mean it Logan, you're amazing. You could keep me here for days, weeks, I'm sure."

Alec recognized the voice, perking himself up as he followed Max into the lounge. "I thought you might like it. Honestly though, it's the kind of thing you learn from years of experience." came Logan's voice.

"Logan, you've made me a very happy woman." Max walked in, trying hard to stop herself from knocking whoever it was into the next century, along with Logan. "You must be Max Guevara. I don't believe I've had the pleasure." Kayna greeted, looking at her from where she sat with Logan. "Hi Alec." Her greeting was indifferent.

The two sat in front of his computer set up; they had been facing each other and talking with wide eyed enthusiasm before Max and Alec had walked in. "Max, I thought you were supposed to be on vacation." Logan said, adjusting his glasses. "What happened?"

"Nothing much." she said shortly. "What were you two doing?"

"I was just getting a uh... feel for Logan's hardware, and I must say, I'm very impressed." Kayna said, raising a brow and turning back to the console. "Much of this equipment has been obsolete for years Logan, I would never have guessed that it was still being used in such a sophisticated system, and I'm sure it must cut the costs of running all of this to a minimum."

He nodded, tapping a few keys on his keyboard. "A Jeneca tracking module. The last updated model was released three years ago, just before the company went bust. They claimed that the tracking module wouldn't be capable of supporting more than 20.1 of software. I've got it up to 62.5."

"You've tripled the module's capacity. How?"

"By 'cuff linking' the module with an upgraded interface from Xeca200. It took a while for me to figure it out but once I did, the result was a machine that could search three sectors at a time if needs be, and if I have enough power. Doing a search like that could easily short the building." he explained.

"Well what do you know, someone who speaks 'Logan'." Alec looked at Max, who wasn't at all impressed by the interest that Logan was showing in the stranger. "Hey, you're the one who broke it off with him, not the other way around." She spun on her heel and went to the kitchen, needing to cool off. As Logan noticed Max's unpleasant departure, he excused himself and followed her. "We just keep running into each other, don't we?" Alec asked.

"Either that, or you're stalking me." answered Kay.

"Max, what's wrong?" Logan asked, stopping himself and folding his arms. "Why did you cut your trip short?"

"What is it with everyone, why has something gotta be wrong for me to want to come back home?" She opened the fridge and took out a cucumber, searching the chopping block for a knife. "What if I thought that maybe I didn't need a vacation right now. What if I thought that maybe you'd need my help in solving the murder case? Nope, something's automatically gotta be wrong."

He took of his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "Well yeah, something is wrong when you're chopping a cucumber with a meat cleaver for no reason." Logan pointed out. She stopped, looking at the cleaver and putting it down next to her. "Okay, well if nothing's wrong, then at least tell me what you mean by solving the murder case."

"You mean you haven't heard?" Max told him what she'd heard on the news, minus one or two details that she couldn't quite remember. What she didn't tell him was that that wasn't the only reason why she had come back to the sector, but she had a feeling she wasn't going to, at least not at that point.

"Well, I've got some news for you too. It's about Kay." Max leaned against the counter and waited for him to continue. "She wants me to find her parents, which normally I would dismiss and tell her to go to the police instead, but funny thing about those parents of hers. Her mother was a Familiar, or so she claims, and her father was donating money and supplying machinery for non other than our favorite secret government organization, Manticore."

"What?"

"Where those two names are involved, something's bound to be happening, something bad. The fact that they just disappeared already sets off alarm bells. I don't know what's going on, but I intend to find out so I'm taking the case."

Max shook her head and sighed. "I can't believe it, the daughter of a man who helped keep us in chains is standing in your lounge and you're more than willing to help her."

"What am I supposed to do Max? She can't help what her father did in the past. Look, she's agreed to pay me for it and I honestly could use the extra money but it's not just that. McIntyre Technologies has it's own pharmaceutical branch." he began, pausing as she turned and waited impatiently for him to finish.

"Yeah, so?"

"So, Kay has agreed to use some of her staff to find a cure for us." Max's heart froze for a split second, and her throat closed up at the mention of the word, cure. "I really think that this could work. She'll get some of the most acclaimed geneticists and professor's working on it and with our options about as pathetic as they come, it sounds pretty good to me."

"You know, you're awful open with someone you just met." They were silent. "Yeah, it sounds good... too good."

* * *

**Channel 7 news has this, just in. Professor Henry Yamamoto was found murdered in his New York home in the early hours of the morning. According to police, no weapons were found or appeared to be used in the killing. This only days after Politician Wes Gallagher was found murdered in the home office of John Albertson. Speculations that the cases may be linked have been fueled by the fact that Professor Yamamoto was an employee of McIntyre Technologies. The suspect brought in for questioning, Kayna McIntyre.**

**"This is ridiculous. I have been chosen as the chief suspect because I am convenient. While I'm sure many men and women out there are convinced that I killed Wes Gallagher, I'm not sure those same men and women have paused to convict me of Professor Yamamoto's death as well. While it is by no means and admission of guilt, I understand the motive for Mr. Gallagher, but not for one of my own employees. Professor Yamamoto was a fine scientist and a valuable asset to the company. Whoever it is that is targeting me and those close to me, gauged the public's response well enough to put me in a bad light. If I cannot convince you on my word alone, then my innocence shall be my voice soon enough."**

**A brief clip from an earlier interview with Kayna McIntyre, who's business stocks have dropped a total of three percent, this just short of the pending merger with Albertson Tomorrow. While some stock holders believe the investigations to spell ruin for the company, many have chosen to stick by the future CEO of UniTech.**

* * *

Logan typed away at his keyboard while Alec scoured his fridge for food. Apparently, being an X series made the appetite a little larger than most people's. In fact, he wouldn't be surprised if he found he'd been cleaned out by lunch time. Of course it annoyed him that while he was straining his eyes and working furiously on finding out all he could about the murders, Kayna's parents, and still finding time to investigate the Familiars, Alec was kicking back and watching him do all of it.

"These are the personal business records of her father. I went searching for them earlier on this morning and found a rather coincidental correlation between him and the two homicide cases." He waited for the page to load up, Alec standing behind him and placing a hand on the desk. "Thirty years ago; Yamamoto, Gallagher and McIntyre along with three other men; Kirk, Danziger and Blaauw, started their own company which much resembled McIntyre Technologies. Ten years later there were talks of corruption, bribery, mismanagement of funds and finally the company fell apart. McIntyre had invested the most and was left to pick up the pieces. He continued to build up what he could of the train wreck and when he finally did, his five colleagues began coming up with all sorts of claims for what they believed should have been their share in McIntyre Technologies."

"They took him to court but the judge found no reason to grant a payout of even shareholder status." Alec read on. "So what do you think, McIntyre flipped out and came back from the dead or wherever the hell he's been to take revenge on them for trying to rob him?"

"Maybe, I don't know. But one thing's sure, neither of them are safe." Logan picked up the small silver cellphone next to him and punched in Max's number. "Hey, Max." he greeted as he continued to read the file on screen. "I need you to do me a favour. If you're not busy tonight, maybe you won't mind babysitting for me." He relayed the address of Lewellyn Kirk and the instructions to watch him closely and make sure that he wouldn't become the next victim.

Alec took a large bite of his sandwich and waited for Logan to hang up. "You don't think Kay is up to this do you? I mean, she has no reason to be going after them thirty years later." Still, Logan said nothing, only thinking silently as the light from the screen reflected on his spectacles. "How do you know that whoever it is is going to strike Kirk?"

"I don't, which is why you and I will be watching Danziger and Blaauw tonight."

"Great, like I couldn't think of other ways to spend the night." Alec sighed, taking yet another bite of his snack. "Seriously, if this is how you and Max spend your time, it's no wonder you're about as fun as Normal on a good day." Logan glared at him from the corner of his eye before continuing on with his work.

* * *

Max pulled her Ninja to a stop and climbed off. Even through her layers of clothing, she was still cold, rubbing the sides of her arms more out of force of habit than necessity. She'd survived colder conditions, not that it had been a particularly pleasurable experience. The time was nine-thirty, and knowing her usual stake outs, it would take at least another four hours before anything interesting happened.

Kirk had been on the move, suddenly leaving the house to come back to work. She wasn't sure why she had to keep watch, since there were guards with shiny guns patrolling every entrance. A cloud of vapor escaped her lips as she rubbed her hands together and searched for a way to keep warm. _Tell me again why I gave up my vacation to stand in the freezing cold and waste my time?_she thought to herself, already knowing the answer.

She flipped her hair back and sat on the seat of her bike. _Coffee, warm... no hot, coffee._It had become her life's mission to protect transgenics from themselves and from others. _But why the hell can't someone just plot a political assassination somewhere warm and sunny?_ Her head peeked over the greenery to the two guards at the main entrance, and looking at her wrist watch again, she realized only minutes had passed.

Boredom was unfortunately a feeling she hadn't yet been able to master. She tried braiding her hair, warming herself up with a few martial arts moves, testing just how far she could see and spotting a scene in a dark corner that would leave a mental image she could do without. For all intents and purposes, her time would be better spent trying to make Alec a better person, which would be a full time job all in itself. Again, she peeked over to the guards, startled to find them gone. Taking a closer look, she found them knocked unconscious, their guns some meters away from them.

"Here we go." Max made her way through the hedges, crouching low and avoiding the surveillance cameras that she'd spotted in the trees and bushes minutes after she'd arrived. The tall electric fence posed no problem. "Just like leap frog." Pushing off the ground, she cleared it without breaking a sweat and quickly chased a more concealed spot. She stopped to check over the guards, who were alive but unconscious, before noticing that the front doors hadn't been opened.

Taking a few steps back, the almost unnoticeable crack in the third floor window caught her eye. She jumped onto the ledge of a first floor window, doing the same to next and then landing where the intruder had and slipping in. The office floor was dark, desktops happily displaying bouncing screensavers and the low hum of the computer fans breaking the silence. Looking attentively, she found no cameras anywhere. _Looks like they've gotten smug._

She sniffed the air, deciphering the many scents in the room to find one particular perfume to be most recent. Following it would be the easy part, but finding out what she would encounter when the trail would come to a stop, that was what had her unsettled. If it was a transgenic, her work would only just be beginning, and if it was a human, she'd have them tied up and waiting for the authorities faster than they could blink.

Max stopped at the elevator, sniffing to find that the scent lead down the staircase. _Just my luck._ Down she went, first one floor, then another, then another, then another. _This building has definitely got more than six floors._ The lower levels were more complex, baring a trademark resemblance to a government facility. Her guard went up, knowing that where there's top secret information, there are usually people guarding it. Quickly looking around the corner, she found that her work had been done for her.

"Definitely not human." she whispered, glancing at the numerous bullet holes that littered the passageway. She stepped over the guards and continued to follow the passage, pretty sure that it would probably lead up to a single doorway with impassable security systems. Max was right, with a security system to rival Fort Knox, she snapped away from the camera's view. Something was amiss, the usual flickering red light was orange, and the camera itself was stationery. Narrowing her eyes, she found a small device on the bottom, probably causing the malfunction.

She decided to go ahead, stopping in front of the door and waiting. "Alright, the hard way." The door dented in at her first punch, caving more at her second. By the time she would be through with it, there would be no door left. Again she punched, finally kicking it down. The lab was sizable, computers going, bubbling test tubes with multi-coloured liquid, experiments contained in glass jars. No one was there, in the main lab anyway. A flickering light in the distance caused Max to investigate, approaching quietly in an attempt to keep her presence unknown.

_Snap_

Max jumped at the sound that was all too familiar. She moved in, finding a figure standing over the lifeless body of Lewellyn Kirk. What it was, she wasn't all too sure of, but the longer she looked, the more the figure began to resemble a woman. Her skin looked like the floor grating, almost blending invisibly against it. Her eyes were black, deep pools of black that stared back at her with such coldness and curiosity. They stood perfectly still for those few seconds, neither of them saying a word, only looking. Her face was somehow covered, as well as the rest of her otherwise naked body. She seemed to have crawled out of a sci-fi novel. _The story of my life._ Max thought.

The woman's head tilted, inspecting Max. In the time she needed to think, Max looked down at the dead man, wanting to instantly turn away from his open eyes. The fear that they held was more than enough to tell her that whatever had happened before she'd gotten there, had scared him half to death. Taking a moment to follow Max's eyes, the woman looked back and ran forward, jumping up and grabbing onto the low light before swinging her legs forward and kicking Max to the ground.

Max snapped up, turning and following her into the main lab. She skidded to a halt, searching frantically for her attacker. "I know you're in here, you can't have gotten away that quickly." Her footsteps were made louder by the metal grating, but she didn't care for stealth at that moment. There was a shift to her left and in a split second she knew exactly who was behind it. Pouncing over the workbench she landed in front of the transgenic and blocked her punch. They wrestled, Max pushing forward and finding herself stronger than her.

The stranger moved to one side and jumped onto the workbench, cart-wheeling forward and flipping off. They stood, ready to fight, neither of them making the first move. Max punched, missing and stepping to one side to kick back on her recovery. The woman stumbled back, unable to block the onslaught of punches and kicks that followed. She flipped back, kicking Max in the jaw with both her feet before landing and taking a running start towards her. Her feet kicked through the air as Max shook her head and tried to focus on where she was before being kicked, once, twice, three times in the chest.

"That's it." The woman dropped and tried to kick again. "I don't think so." Max blocked the kick, holding onto her leg and swinging her around with ample strength, letting go and watching as she spun out of control into a shelve of equipment spare parts. "This would be a whole lot easier if we could talk it out." The response she anticipated, ducking beneath the airborne computer fan. Max continued to block her punches, the space between them where their arms should have been nothing more than a blur.

Max found the pace to be quickening, finding it difficult to keep up as she blocked punch after punch. Finally, she felt a fist connect with her chest and was flung back. As if hesitant, the woman made her way over to her, curios to see whether she was conscious. Max groaned, sitting up and holding her head. That was enough to frighten her off; Max still wary as she got up and chased after her. As Max ran, she saw that the woman who first blended into the grating, was now the luminous blue colour of the lab.

"Come back here!" Max shouted, picking up speed and trying to catch up. The chase led up the staircase, both of them taking four at a time. Sick and tired of having to see her back, Max sprang forward as they reached the ground floor of the building, both of them tumbling out and hitting the tiled floor. "What series are you?" she asked, her fists already ready for an attack. "Answer me!"

Max stopped the transgenic's first punch, and her second, clenching her teeth as she spread her arms apart and to the side. It was clear that Max was stronger, and a few seconds more would have allowed her to take her out with a well placed punch, but those were a few seconds that they didn't have. Both of them turned to the glass front doors, the guards having recovered and called for reinforcements. As the door opened both of them flipped out in opposite directions, missing the gunfire narrowly as it hit the wall behind them. Max turned to see where her 'sparring partner' had gone, squinting her eyes to find that she had blended into the wood paneling of the wall, almost invisible to the eye.

Max searched for the glasses in her jacket pocket, putting them on in an effort to conceal her identity from them. They were silent as the guards moved forward, six in total. They spread out, three to Max and three to her. When they were close enough, both of them shot up, disarming the guards with ease. Max pulled the gun of one of them, smacking him over the head with it before flipping up and landing behind the other two. She spun and kicked the second in the stomach and chest, using him as a sort of stepping ladder when she pushed up and kicked the third in the jaw.

The other three guards turned to Max, everything happening too fast for them. The woman stood up and kicked the gun from his hands, holding onto the next guard's as she punched him and pulled the card from the chain around his neck. She pulled the gun and kicked him in the solar plexus before taking the third's. He pulled out a knife, turning it in his hand and lunging forward, she moved her shoulder back and dodged, grabbing his wrists and staring at him through his dark visor. She lifted her leg and kicked his chin, still holding onto his wrists, before moving and flipping him over.

She glanced at Max before running for the computer console in the center of the room. Swiping the card, she looked back and ran for the doors, once again being followed by Max. The gates opened as they ran, the woman turning in the direction of a construction sight and trying to find a way in. She braced herself as Max lunged at her, the two of them hitting a pile of bricks on the other side of the wooden gate. The woman winced, finding that she had landed on the sharp corner of a brick.

"I'm going to ask you one more time, what series are you?" Max waited for an answer, interrupted by the reflection of the bright lights in the woman's dark eyes. She saw her shadow grow, hearing the loud roar of a truck. "That's just terrific." She turned, sighing as the trucker got out and walked over to her. "Don't mind us sir, just got a little lost."

He furrowed his brow and looked to the left and right of her. "What do you mean _'us'_?"

Max turned back, finding that she was alone

End Part Two

_A/n:_ _Is there any interest out there? Oh, and thank you Canyabble for the review_

* * *


	3. Chapter Three

**_A life less (extra)ordinary_**

_A/n: I believe that there's a lot behind Max and Logan's relationship that many non shippers, shippers, and even the DA script writers fail to perceive. I suppose the biggest part of the whole virus thing is that, people need to touch and be touched, especially people who are in that kind of relationship, and it can be tough when you can't do that. For the most part, I've written Max and Logan's interactions as strained and clinical as she fights with her own feelings toward everything, and it's pretty obvious the way I handled Alec and Kay, and continue to handle them. Which brings me onto the major point of this note: Sexual scene in chapter! I'm not very good at writing that kind of thing but practice makes perfect, plus I need it to perpetuate the story at parts. I hope that people don't just take the interactions as some filler pieces and instead read into the contrasts between the couples. As always, please let me know what you think_

* * *

_"The way I see it hon, there's nothing you can do. He's just as convinced that the two of you are meant to be, as you are convinced that you're not. Take it from me, Just a girl, he still believes in your love, even if you don't."_

Max was bumped violently by an overzealous dancer at Crash. The club had brought the band Reign of Chaos in from Canada and the joint had been more packed than ever before. At the time when she should've been letting go of all her worries and dancing 'til she dropped, she found herself pondering on recently passed events. With a new transgenic on the loose, in all likelihood the deadly assassin that had committed triple homicide, it was difficult to relax.

_"Have you ever heard of fun?"_ She remembered Alec say. _"You know, that thing you do when you're not too busy working, ordering me around or pining over Logan? That thing that most people find second nature but you seem to avoid every minute of the day? That thing that forces you to take that carrot out of your ass and stop taking everything so seriously."_

As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. But it was so difficult to be stress free when every time she thought that she could relax, some new, life-threatening event would make sure she was back to being the irritating stiff of a person she'd swore she'd never become. "Fuck it, I've had enough. I'm gonna stop acting like morbid transgenic and start living the life I fought so hard for."

She slid off her chair and smiled before heading into the crowd.

Max Guevara was indeed perfectly engineered. Curves in all the right places and could perhaps be described as 'every man's fantasy'. The club's lights shone over her long auburn hair as she reached the center of the dance floor. Her body slid to the music, her hips carrying the beat with carefree assurity. Even without trying, she'd already called the attention of the guys around her. She swayed and rolled her body to the music with the fluidity of a snake and the sexual appeal of a goddess.

Her hair flew around her soft features, and her eyes seemed to be daring anyone to dance with her. She stalked toward a blonde that looked just about her age. He seemed to tense when she set her eyes on him and moved closer, her arms sliding around his neck. An almost menacing smile crossed her lips as she moved against him. She'd almost forgotten how good it felt to bring a guy to a sweat with just a simple look. Max turned around and teasingly rubbed against his noticeably rising manhood.

Unable to contain her laughter, she moved away from him and stopped in front of an equally attractive woman who had been watching her with more than intrigue. Max's eyes seemed to burn holes in her own and it was already clear who was leading the seductive dance. Her arms swayed with her, contributing to the almost intoxicating way in which she captivated her growing audience. She was more than enjoying her sudden burst of freedom. It wasn't long before she stepped off the floor and went back to the table.

"Who are you and what the hell have you done with my girl Max?" OC asked, having followed her from the crowd.

"What are you talking about?"

"Girl, that's the first sign of life you've shown for far too long and what a way to come back. You realize that everyone in the room was fixed on you, and I mean everyone, straight or otherwise." she laughed, sitting down next to Max. "You've even got me thinkin' impure thoughts."

Max smiled and sipped the glass of water she had left where she sat. "Well that's good to know; at least I haven't lost my touch."

"Whoa, Max, if I had known you could move like that..." Sketch said, sliding into a seat and seeming overly excited. The look she gave him suggested against finishing the sentence, "I would've known you could move like that." he finished stupidly, sure that he'd made no sense at all.

"Yo, Boo, you got yourself an admirer." OC pointed out, referring to the man sitting at the far end of the bar.

"Well, can't keep my fans waiting." She got up and felt Cindy catch her arm. "What?"

"What about Logan?"

She pulled her arm away and her smile quickly faded. "I'm not going to jump in bed with the guy just because he's giving me the eye. Logan and I are still in the cards OC, but that doesn't mean I've got to put my life on hold." Max walked over to the darkly handsome man and sat herself beside him, almost glaring back to her best friend. "Hi, I'm Max."

* * *

Alec stretched in front of his locker, arching his back and rolling his neck. He'd been dreading work since the minute he had woken up and was more than happy to be walking out of the doors of Jam Pony with a fat wallet and walking through the doors of Crash. All he needed was some serious down time, probably get around to seeing Joshua at some point. Whatever he did, the important thing was, it was totally up to him.

He closed his locker door and jumped slightly at the sight of Sketchy. "Hey Sketch, you up for drinks at Crash?" Alec asked, patting Sketchy's back as he began walking with him.

"Not exactly bro. Listen, I kinda need to ask you for a favour." Sketchy already knew that he wasn't going to like the idea, but having asked everyone he could think of that might owe him a favour of two, which was about one person, he would have to try his luck with Alec. "Seriously man, I wouldn't be asking you this if it wasn't important."

"Come on man, it's Friday night." he protested. "There's gotta be someone else you can ask." Sketchy nodded slightly and backed away, the look on his face beyond disappointment. "Alright, alright. Jesus, someone hand me a Kleenex and cue the violins."

"Thanks man, I owe you big time." His face lit up as he shoved the package into Alec's hands and bounded off. "You are the man Alec, you know that? You are the man!" Sketch shouted, finally disappearing around the corner.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm the man." Alec repeated to himself, turning the package over to find the address. He chuckled quietly, not being one to believe in coincidences. "As much as I hate to admit it, I don't think you planned this one Sketch." Shoving it into his backpack, he waved goodbye to the few couriers left and headed for his bike. "Last drop off Alec, last drop off." he convinced himself. A couple of steps out the door and just on his way, it began to rain, hard. "Fucking A." he mumbled, stopping and putting on his hood.

* * *

He couldn't catch a cold, he knew he couldn't, but it was damn uncomfortable having to make his way through the heavy rain and even heavier traffic. Somehow, whenever the weather went sour, people started driving like idiots. He rode through the rain, past the traffic and the outskirts of the sector and on to the open land, Kay's estate well in sight, even in the dismal downpour. Pressing on the handle brakes, Alec searched for the call button on the wall panel and spoke into the small microphone.

"Messenger from Jam Pony!" he shouted, trying to make himself heard over the noise. Had this all been planned? To send him out on the shittiest of shitty nights, all the way across town and a good way outside of it? One thing was for sure; he'd be calling in Sketch's debt some time soon and it wasn't going to be pretty. The large black gates opened slowly as Alec cycled in, following a familiar route. The rain pounded and the gravel crunched beneath his tire; finally he wheeled to a stop and parked the bike in the small alcove at the front door. He had to wait a while before the sounds of lock after lock being undone, came from inside. "Well well well, she opens her own doors now."

Kay ignored the comment and took the clipboard from him. His eyes drifted over her, the fact that she was wearing another of her revealing negligees not lost on him. After signing, she gestured for the package and then took both through the foyer and placed them on the oak table near the palatial staircase. "It's started to hale incase you didn't notice." she called back, moving into the den. "Now you can stand there until it dies down, or come inside, either way, you're not going anywhere now." came her voice.

He shook himself off as best he could, wiped his shoes on the doormat, then stepped inside. He hated the feeling; everything was wet through and through, and he was cold. He didn't need to give the invitation a second thought, especially since the warm gold glow of a fire had cast shadows onto the marble floor of the foyer. Alec followed her way into the room and made the fire his first stop. He rubbed his hands together and hopped a bit, trying to loose the bite. Kay watched him from her seat on the lavish sofa in front of the fireplace. She had a glass of red wine in hand and a folder which she had kept to one side. "Working?"

"You call it working, I call it living." she said. "My work is my life, it's as simple as that." The hail pounded the windows and the wind shook the branches against them. "It sounds like hell outside." She set her glass down and stood. "I think we should prepare for your staying the night, if it's necessary. Follow me." They ascended one side of the crescent shaped stair case to the second level. The corridors upstairs seemed endless, lined with room after room. "Guest quarters on the east wing, living quarters on the west." They walked a little way to the first guest room.

Alec shook his head; the extent of the grandeur did not cease to amaze him. The room was larger than his apartment, without a doubt. She turned on the lights and dimmed them, used the control that lay on the large four-poster and kindled the fire with a push of a button. "Here's the bathroom." Kay said as she crossed over to his right and switched on the light. "And here's a robe." She threw a towel robe his way. "You'll have to dry your clothing by the fire, because I wouldn't know where to find the laundry room in this place... if there is one. Whether you stay the night is up to you." That said, she bade him 'goodnight' and left.

He looked to the robe in his hand, the scene outside, and his wet clothing. "Why the hell not?" he asked himself. Alec threw his pack aside and got rid of his drowned shoes and socks. His pants were next and finally his shirt was the last to come off. As he'd been advised, he set his clothing in front of the fireplace and tied on the robe. He searched the room for a while. He wanted to explore the mansion, but at some point security would probably cuff him or send him straight back. There wasn't much else to do except sleep, although the thought of wasting the night in such a way hit hard. He turned off the light and was left with the comforting crackle of the fire. Alec got into bed and watched the flames to his left; sleep not taking him very quickly. The door in front of him opened, and a wistful figure stepped through, leaning on the door behind her as it closed softly.

Kay stalked over to him, pivoting on one of the posts before gracefully moving onto the bed. "Half way to my room, a thought struck me." She slid one leg over and saddled him. Leaning forward, she whispered, "There are other ways to keep warm." She undid the tie and opened his robe, taking in his defined stomach. There was a soft ringing from across the room, the tone belonging to Logan. Kay forced him back down as he tried to sit up. "No." The tip of her nail trailed down his stomach and her hand caught his rising manhood. Her tongue slipped passed his lips and met his own, caressing it and finding equal skill returned. The phone rang again, causing Alec to stop. She moved back and stared at him. After a short while she dismounted, becoming irritated by his indecision. He grabbed her arm, the wince she gave making him believe that he'd caught her too hard. He pulled her under him and moved the barely there robe over her shoulders and down past her hips, not bothering with the tie.

She slunk out of the silk prison and then returned the gesture, casting away the towel robe. Her legs wrapped around him and he slid inside her, causing a moan of recognition. He lifted her as he moved back, bringing her chest to his face. She grabbed onto his back as the first thrust came, her nails digging in and causing him to writhe for just a second. Again he thrust, hard and desperate. It was his turn to moan as the pleasure of the next thrust was coupled with the pain of her nails scrapping across his skin. He held on to her tightly, not even considering that he might snap her bones if his grip was too strong. His tongue circled her nipple and his mouth took in the soft tip of her breast. Her nails had gone deeper still, Alec unintentionally biting her as he clenched his teeth. She let out a cry and pulled him even closer, if it was at all possible. A thin film of sweat now plagued them both as thrust after thrust came harder and faster. Her soft hair fell around them as they locked eyes; there was something there, pleasurable, passionate, raw. No sweet words or heartfelt sentiments, no loving gaze or tender touch. This was pure, unadulterated, insatiable, Lust. Her shoulder was now held at the mercy of his teeth and as they both neared their peak, he bit, tightening second after heat filled second. She cried out again but didn't pull back. Finally, they climaxed, energy draining from them. He lay her back down and fell at her side; the two eventually passing out, their limbs intertwined, from exhaustion.

* * *

Alec's eyes opened groggily. Kay had rolled over to the edge of the bed. He watched the silhouette of her body and the curve of her back. The night had been interesting, but he had no idea of what the rest of the day held in store. As he moved, the first thing he noticed was the pain. He got up and found small droplets of blood on the sheets. "Man am I gonna be feeling this." he whispered, aware of his speedy healing factor but dreading it all the same. He went over to the fireplace and got dressed, halting suddenly at the sound of voices from the corridor. He fixed his jeans and walked over lightly to the door. As far as he could tell, it was the butler, and another man. If he opened the door, he would have had the same effect as a wagon full of fireworks. Instead he pressed in close and used his enhanced sense to hear through the heavy wood.

"She's your responsibility, Duncan and you've lost her!" a man shouted.

"She is a fully grown woman sir. There is no way that I would be able to keep track of her all the time. I realize that your intent was to see her this morning but I'm afraid that until she calls in or we find her, you'll have to postpone your meeting indefinitely." The old man's voice was stronger than it had been, less gentile. It seemed that no one in the manner was what they appeared to be. "This is a very big mansion, and while it is uncommon for her to wander into rooms that she does not usually enter, it is not unheard of. If she's here, we'll find her."

"Make sure that she's prepped for her next mission when you find her, and then you call me." The sound of footsteps descending the staircase reached Alec's ears.

"Her next mission?" He questioned. He heard Duncan's steps fade away to the west wing. Still puzzled he went back and put on his shoes and socks; still damp but thankfully not soaking wet. Taking a moment, he searched to see if there was anything else that he'd forgotten. He went for his watch on the other side of the bed and again looked at her sleeping form. This time, he noticed something. Her hair had slipped back slightly and he caught sight of what looked like a barcode. He moved back a few locks of hair and was shocked. There as plain and clear as his own, was a barcode. She shifted at his touch and a portion of it blended to her skin, then disappeared completely. His sharp hearing allowed him to hear the sounds of car doors opening and slamming. Alec went over to the window and to his right, so far down it was almost out of sight, three cars stood in the drive way. His eyes widened as he recognized the face of the man who came out of the house, barked orders, then got into one of the black 4x4s. "Ah shit." He watched as they left, the gates closing menacingly behind them.

He grabbed his pack and made his way to the window. There was no sense in going out the front door. The place was probably covered in staff who were searching for Kay. He opened the rusty thing with some force and looked down. It was quite a drop, even by his standards, but since there were no drain pipes, he'd have to rough it. Alec braced himself and jumped out, rolling as he hit the ground. He looked back up to the window he'd just come from, and he stood there perhaps a second too long. One of the guards had stole up a way behind him, and now called loud enough to have the rest of the team on his tail. Alec made his way around the wall of the mansion and into the well kept but dense hedges. Safe that no one could see him, he increased his speed and finally pushed off from the ground, clearing the wall and landing with another roll on the other side. Security would be searching for him on the grounds for another hour he guessed, but still, he sped down the open road none the less.

* * *

**And in headlines today, the merger between McIntyre Technologies and Albertson Tomorrow seems steeped in misfortune. Though reports are still hazy, this much is certain: Kayna McIntyre has been admitted to the San Francisco Memorial Hospital after sustaining serious injuries. We believe that she was attacked in her home in the early hours of the morning, by perhaps the same serial killer responsible for the deaths of Politician Wes Gallagher, Professor Henry Yamamoto and more recently Doctor Lewellyn Kirk. With their only and prime suspect now a victim herself, police now have no suspects. Spokespeople for McIntyre Technologies refused to offer any statements however we have a disk containing footage of the assailant's flight from the mansion.**

* * *

Max hadn't slept, though she didn't feel all too tired. Her fatigue of late had come from too many complex situations, questions with no answers, nightmare's that didn't end. For now, she had the faint hope of the cure in her sights, and one of the three wasn't too bad at all. She didn't see it as a sure thing, but the way life had been going for her, if and maybe were the best things she had going for her. She parked her bike in the racks at Jam Pony and sauntered into the place that seemed rife with gossip and chatter. Normal hadn't shouted at her yet, this was odd. Instead he was checking and rechecking the clipboards on the counter, finally coming out and making his way over to Sketchy.

"Listen Sketchy, I know that this might require a significant amount more neurons than you actually have, but when you make a delivery and get the papers signed, if you manage that much, you're going to have to return those papers so I can get through the bureaucratic bullshit that hits me every day." he ranted. "So why don't you just hand the sheet over and make my minute."

"Uh... yeah sure, I just gotta look for it. But I'll bring it over to you." Sketch answered. Normal rolled his eyes and went back to his post. Sketch turned to Max, appearing rather desperate. "Uh, Max? I really need you to tell me where Alec is 'cause I sent him on my last run yesterday and he still hasn't pitched up for work."

"I don't know, I haven't seen him since I left work last night." she shrugged. He grudgingly thanked her and went back to his business. Max's ears perked suddenly. She slammed her locker and moved to the bathrooms at the back. Four policemen entered Jam Pony, immediately going over to Normal and having a few brief words with him. He pointed and they followed to the lockers, right next to Sketch.

"Excuse us sir but we'd like you to come to the precinct with us for questioning." a deep throated officer said.

He looked to each of them, terrified. "What... what for?"

"We have evidence that suggests you were at the house of Kayna McIntyre last night." another responded. "If you could please accompany us, we can get this all sorted out. " Their words seemed polite enough but they didn't seem all too delicate when they handled him; gripping his wrists and escorting him through the doors. Everyone in Jam Pony had gone silent with the whole incident. Even Normal, he was at a loss for words which wasn't, well, normal." Finally, he came to and started clapping and ordering people around with his usual zest, but she could still see the surprise on his face.

Her phone rang. "Yeah." she answered.

--It's Alec, get to Logan's.-- And he hung up.

* * *

"Yes." Alec sighed. "Yes, I was at her house last night. Sketch asked me to do his run for him. I didn't even know that it was for her before I agreed to it." He dropped his head back and stared at the ceiling of the apartment, the lowered voices on the TV set to his right. "It was late, it was hailing, and she offered me a room for the night. When I left this morning, it wasn't through the front door, and the clipboard was in the foyer. I took Sketch's board along with the package and that's gotta be how they picked him as a suspect." Logan had been baffled by his sudden intrusion earlier and Max had arrived with more questions than she had breath to ask.

"Well, that explains that." Logan said. "Quite obviously the next question has to be whether or not you so or heard anything. With a security system as high tech as hers no doubt is, only a professional could've gotten in there without triggering any alarms." He turned to Max "Do you think it could've been this mystery transgenic?"

She sighed and shook her head. "Do I think the transgenic is capable? Yes, but whether or not she did it...? I mean, from what I could tell, if she wanted Kay dead, she'd definitely be dead." Alec noticed that she'd become more docile and hadn't yet jumped down his throat for getting himself involved in the whole thing... although the day was relatively early. "Did you see anything?"

"About that..." he began, pursing his lips. "She wasn't actually attacked." They looked at him, awaiting a further explanation. "I was with her the whole night." Max threw her hands up in defeat and walked away. Logan watched her then looked back to Alec; his expression confused. "The _whole_ night." Alec stressed, trying to coax the realization out of him until finally Logan's expression changed from confusion to embarrassment for having not caught it earlier.

"But then how could she have ended up in the hospital?" Logan asked.

Alec searched for the words without having to go into any detail. To his mind, it would probably send them both into cardiac arrest, since about the most intimate they had been recently was a bear-hug. "One thing led to another and at some point I must've, squeezed too hard?" he ended, not really knowing what else to say. "Damnit, it's not like I planned on it."

"You put her in hospital, Alec!" Max shouted.

"Thank you, Doctor Obvious! Jesus Christ, like I don't feel like shit already!" he shouted back, running his hands through his hair and resting them there. "We can talk about that all later but there's something I have to tell you about first." It took a while before Max managed to calm down, in large part because of Logan's words. She would've been at Alec's throat by that time if it weren't for him. "I saw a barcode, on the back of Kay's neck." This got their full blown attention. "But it was different, not the barcode just..." He took a moment to think his words through. "It... blended into her skin, like one minute it was there and the next it wasn't. I've never seen anything like that, on any transgenic."

Max's eyes widened. "Like camouflage?" she asked. Alec thought for a bit then nodded. Logan and Max shared a knowing look; thinking the same thing. "It's gotta be her."

"Do you guys mind telling me what the hell you mean?" Max told him everything then, including all of the smaller details, having not had a chance to before. "Oh my god. This morning, I overheard the butler talking to a guy about some mission that she had to be prepped for. It could be another assassination. In fact, I'm almost certain it is. The guy, that the butler was talking to... It was Agent White."

Logan took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "This is not good." He put his glasses backed on and glanced at the set; the banner at the bottom of the screen reading 'Tech mogul returned for merger'. He upped the volume and they caught the tail end of what was said. Next, footage appeared of the back of a man's head looking up, then running forward after hearing the sounds of a whistle from a guard. "Please tell me that that's not you Alec." Logan said, lowering the volume again and turning to him.

"We are so far up Shit's Creek that even if we had a paddle, it wouldn't do a damn thing." Alec covered his eyes with his hands and rested his head there. "I need to talk to her."

"Are you crazy?" asked Max. "The media's got you on camera and the police'll be searching for someone with your height, build... you can't, it's too dangerous." More than scorn, she spoke now with concern and even fear. "You need to get out of here. We'll do what we do best and get you out of the sector ASAP." she said at last.

"No." Alec stood now. "I'm not leaving. Besides, Sketch is gonna break at any time, and if he does, they'll find out about all of us; it'll only be a matter of time. Our lives are here, all of our friends. To run is a last resort, it has to be." he ended quietly. "Think about it, if Kay was working close with White, why didn't she turn me in, or all of us for that matter?"

"Maybe she doesn't know." Logan offered.

"Maybe. But I feel like... like there's something more." He left it at that. "Just let me talk to her." With a doubting and heavy heart, Max agreed but insisted on going with him. "No, it's better if I do this alone. I'll be alright, I hope. If you don't hear from me in two hours, then you can do your Hero bit but until then, just throw a bit of trust my way?" She tried to smile, but it came out more as a forced expression. Alec left them both then.

Max looked to Logan, but he fought her eyes and turned to his computer. "Logan, about the cure..."

"Leave it. It was stupid of me to think that she'd come through anyway." he said, waving the whole thing away with his hand. "I'm going to get started on Kay's file; see what I can dig up. Although what I don't understand is how Manticore could've put one of their own creations in such a high profile spot. If anyone ever found out about her, they'd be media fodder in a second. Right now, none of this is making any sense."

"Let's hope Alec can get answers out of her." Max sighed. He agreed with her and began opening programs and typing away. "I..." she held back. "Things are hard for both of us. It seems that every time we try to find a way back to normality... as normal as we can be, something always gets in our way." Logan stopped, his eyes still fixed on the screen. "I hate what's happening to us, and the only thing that gets me through all of it, is the thought that things will be a lot better after these last hurdles."

He wheeled over to her and she knelt in turn. "I hear your voice, your laugh; I smell your hair and your skin; each time I look at you, I wonder what the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, sees in me. But three out of the five isn't good enough. It's torture, going day by day without being able to touch or taste you. There are days when I feel like just giving in, and having those few hours of you; days where I couldn't give a shit if I died as long as those last moments were with you. Everything would be easier, if I just had you... all of you." Tears began to pool and slowly run down Max's cheeks. He moved back from her and shouted into the air. "I can't even wipe your tears!" he said at last.

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen," Kay began, "I believe that it is time for a ten minute break. There's a conference room a short way down the hall where snacks and refreshments have been laid out. It should give us all a chance to stretch our legs and prepare for the main event." she smiled, inciting the same response from the business men and women in the conference room. "Gary, I wonder if you could do me a favour and escort them there?" The thirty-something man nodded and did as he'd been asked. When the last of them disappeared from view, she let her head fall into her hands and let out a deep breath.

"Knock knock." came a woman's voice. Kay looked up and found Anne standing just inside of the doorway. "You're a tough woman. Physical assault before breakfast and mental assault before lunch." Kay didn't stand and go around the twenty seater conference table to meet her, the walk seemed like a marathon.

"Anne, you're head of PR. I can't comprehend how you could be doing your job by standing there." Kay said with some burden. "Although I wonder if you do the job I pay you for at all. I saw your handiwork on the news this morning." This raised an eyebrow. "Leaking the word that I was attacked and almost killed for all intents and purposes. Oh, and the camera footage of a man leaving my house? Clever, but very, very risky. I could fire you for that."

The redhead sighed. "Well, it got the police off your tail, didn't it? Besides, you can't tell a thing from that footage, I made sure of it before I leaked it to the press. You should be thanking, not threatening me for that." She now strode closer to Kay. "Did you happen to notice the frenzy the stock market's in? When they found out you were in the hospital, McIntyre slipped, when they found out that you couldn't be responsible for the murders and that you would return for the merger, stocks went through the roof. Face it, I saved this company's ass."

"And what about the guy that was caught on camera? Did you ever think that I might not want him involved in any of this?" She shook her head violently. Anne had known almost everything by the time she started to work. The manner staff had found Kay severely bruised in the guest room and had called an ambulance when she struggled to wake up. They knew she'd let the, unidentified guest, in so there was no question about whether she knew him or not. Anne immediately saw it as a chance to do damage control on another front. "I've already spoken to Jonathan, he's gone down to the police station to represent the man that you tried to frame. I've also dropped the charges that you managed to press on my behalf as well as stopped the investigation, and the station is going to pull the footage."

"I noticed that you didn't add an official statement to your list of things to do." Anne smirked. "And are we forgetting one important thing? This, mystery man may not be the killer, but he did hurt you. He fractured two of your rib bones and frankly, I can't understand why the hell you _aren't _pressing charges. What was it, a lover's spat?" It didn't take a genius to put the burnt out fire, strained sheets and musky air together to paint a rather descriptive picture. "Did he have his way with you and then beat you up just for the hell of it?"

"Enough!" Kay shouted, rising to her threatening height and slamming her hands on the table. "Are you forgetting to whom you speak?" It didn't seem that she'd lost any of her command. "We are employer and employee, not friends. Talk to me like that again, and I'll make sure that your six figure salary evaporates along with any chances of you ever working on this _continent_. Do I make myself clear?" The woman was silent. "Get - out."

Anne gritted her teeth and spun on her heel. Kay's sudden surge of authority did not come at a price and she fell back into her chair, more drained than before. She heard movement from the doorway but didn't bother to look up, assuming it was another insignificant interruption. The doors closed, and it was then that her eyes lifted. Alec was leaning against them, somber and plagued with thoughts as it seemed. She stood. At length, he began. "About... I..."

"Don't worry about it, it's just a couple of bruises and it's not like I didn't ask for them. When the prospect of having an extra zero removed from their salary comes around, my people tend to overreact." she smiled. "Besides, if memory serves, I left you with a few battle scars of your own. How about we call it even and leave it at that?" She looked across at him, and found that there was something else.

"I'm sorry." he said, feeling the need to get it off his chest.

"I'll heal."

This brought him to the next, uncomfortable topic. The whole way over, it had been eating away at him and now he was about to mutate their well-off understanding. "I saw the barcode on the back of your neck." She was about to say something but he cut her off. "There's no use in denying it or trying to explain it in any other way than fact. The only way you'd have that, is if you're a Manticore series."

"Alec, this isn't the time..."

"I know about White, I heard him talking to your butler."

"You don't know what you heard, or saw, so just..."

"I know because I'm one of them." he half shouted. He turned and lowered his jacket, exposing the back of his neck. "You can't lie to me, not about this. Whatever you are, you're not alone. You and I, we're the same."

Her eyes began to glisten. "I'm nothing like you, Alec." Kay's voice was stern, adamant. "But I will explain, just not now, and not here." She made her way over to him. "I'll go to Logan's after I'm finished with all of this, but if I leave now, I'll put you in danger." It took a moment before Alec nodded. "Now go, before the conference comes back."

End Part Three

* * *


End file.
